Abortion in Rome: how to access it, where to go, and your guaranteed rights

In a nutshell

Voluntary termination of pregnancy (IVG — Interruzione Volontaria di Gravidanza) is a legal right guaranteed in Italy by Legge 194 of 1978. It is free for every woman — Italian, EU, non-EU with or without a residence permit, and even undocumented. In Rome you can start the process at a consultorio familiare (public family-planning clinic run by the local health authority), through your GP, or by going directly to a public hospital. The only time limit for a voluntary termination is within 90 days of conception (roughly 12 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy).

At a glance

Cost	Free for every woman, including undocumented migrants (ticket exemption code M50 or C03).
Timeline	Medical certificate + mandatory 7-day reflection period + procedure. Total average time in Lazio: 14–21 days.
Where in Rome	Consultori familiari of ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale — your local public-health authority) districts 1–6 (certificate + medication abortion) and the listed public hospitals.
Documents	None required. Access is guaranteed even without an ID card.

Who can access it and by when

Every woman physically present in Italy, regardless of nationality or immigration status:

• Italian citizens
• EU citizens (with or without a TEAM — European Health Insurance Card)
• Non-EU citizens with a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit for non-EU citizens)
• Undocumented non-EU migrants (STP card — Straniero Temporaneamente Presente)
• Indigent EU citizens (ENI card)
• Asylum seekers and refugees
• Minors: with the consent of both parents, or — if the minor does not want to involve them — with authorisation from the Giudice Tutelare del Tribunale per i Minorenni (the Juvenile Court's guardianship judge — the process is free and the judge decides within 5 days)

After 90 days (so-called therapeutic termination): only possible in the presence of serious risk to the woman's health or confirmed severe foetal abnormalities, assessed by a medical panel.

Step-by-step procedure

Step 1 — Get the medical certificate

Go to a consultorio familiare of your ASL (walk-ins are generally accepted) or see your GP. The consultorio can also carry out a free pregnancy test on the spot.

After an informational consultation with a gynaecologist or midwife — during which alternatives to termination are discussed and psychological support is offered — the doctor issues the certificate under art. 5 of Legge 194, confirming the pregnancy and your request for termination.

Step 2 — Seven-day reflection period

The law requires a mandatory 7-day wait between the certificate and the procedure. If there is documented urgency (health risk), the doctor can note "non-deferrable urgency" and proceed earlier.

Step 3 — Book the procedure

After the 7 days, you can:

• Ask the consultorio to book the hospital appointment directly for you
• Call the Lazio booking centre (CUP Lazio): 06 9939
• Go to a public hospital with your certificate

This is followed by a preliminary gynaecological examination, an ultrasound to date the pregnancy, and pre-operative blood tests (for surgical termination).

Step 4 — The procedure

Medication abortion (RU486) — up to 9 weeks:

• Day 1: Mifepristone (RU486) taken at the hospital or consultorio
• 48 hours later: Misoprostol, which triggers expulsion
• Can be carried out in an outpatient setting or day-hospital (DM Salute 12/08/2020)

Surgical termination (suction aspiration) — up to 12 weeks and 6 days:

• Day surgery: same-day procedure
• Local anaesthesia with sedation, or general anaesthesia
• The procedure takes 15–20 minutes; discharge follows within a few hours

Step 5 — Post-procedure follow-up

A follow-up visit at the consultorio 14 days later. Free contraceptive counselling is offered, and psychological support if needed.

Where to go in Rome: hospitals providing IVG services

Hospital	Address	Phone	Type
A.O. San Camillo-Forlanini	Circ.ne Gianicolense 87	06 58701	Medication + surgical
A.O. San Giovanni Addolorata	Via Amba Aradam 9	06 77051	Medication + surgical
A.O. Sant'Eugenio	Piazzale dell'Umanesimo 10	06 51001	Medication + surgical
Policlinico Umberto I	Viale del Policlinico 155	06 49971	Medication + surgical
Ospedale Sandro Pertini	Via dei Monti Tiburtini 385	06 41431	Medication + surgical
Policlinico Casilino	Via Casilina 1049	06 23188	Medication + surgical
Ospedale Grassi (Ostia)	Via G.C. Passeroni 28	06 56482001	Medication + surgical
A.O. San Filippo Neri	Via G. Martinotti 20	06 33061	Surgical only
Ospedale San Pietro FBF	Via Cassia 600	06 33581	Surgical only

Note: the Policlinico Gemelli and other faith-affiliated accredited hospitals generally do not perform terminations.

The consultori familiari of ASL Roma 1, 2, and 3 also handle consultations and, in many cases, outpatient medication abortion. Check availability directly with your local consultorio.

Useful numbers:

• CUP Lazio: 06 9939 / salutelazio.it/recup
• Regione Lazio Women's Health free line: 800 008805
• Vita Donna ASL Roma 1: 06 68352350

Mistakes to avoid

1. No "private consultation" is needed. IVG is free at public facilities. You do not have to pay anyone to access the service.
2. Watch out for private pro-life centres. Some centres have names similar to the public consultori but are not ASL facilities. They may try to discourage you and waste precious days until you pass the 90-day limit. Always verify you are at a public ASL consultorio familiare.
3. Do not buy abortion medication online. Drugs for termination purchased on the internet are illegal and dangerous. The procedure must take place under medical supervision in a healthcare facility.

Special cases

You are a minor. If you do not want to involve your parents, the consultorio's doctor submits a request to the Giudice Tutelare del Tribunale per i Minorenni di Roma (Via Romolo Murri 49 — tel. 06 41101). The judge decides within 5 days. The process is free and confidential.

You encounter a conscientious objector. Doctors, nurses, and midwives may refuse to participate in a termination on grounds of conscientious objection (art. 9 of Legge 194). However, the public healthcare facility must still guarantee the service. In Lazio the rate of objecting gynaecologists is high (around 75%), but all the hospitals listed above provide the service. If you face obstacles, file a complaint with the URP (patient-relations office) of your ASL or the Difensore Civico Regionale (Regional Ombudsman).

You are undocumented. You have the full right to a free termination using an STP card (undocumented non-EU migrants) or ENI card (indigent EU citizens), issued on the spot at the hospital or consultorio when you first arrive. No report is made to the authorities (art. 35 of the Consolidated Immigration Act, D.Lgs. 286/1998).

You are a survivor of sexual violence. Go to the Pronto Soccorso (A&E / emergency room) and ask for the Codice Rosa pathway. Emergency contraception (morning-after pill) is free within 72–120 hours. The consultorio will then provide support and guidance.

You are past 90 days. Therapeutic termination is possible in the event of serious risk to the woman's physical or mental health, or confirmed severe foetal abnormalities. Speak with the gynaecologist at the consultorio or hospital for an assessment.

Official sources

• Ministry of Health — IVG and Legge 194
• Ministry of Health — Medication abortion
• Legge 194/1978 official text
• DM 12/08/2020 RU486 guidelines
• Salute Lazio — Regional portal
• Regione Lazio — Family-planning clinics
• ASL Roma 1
• ASL Roma 2
• ASL Roma 3

Legal references: Legge 22/05/1978 n. 194; Sentenza Corte Costituzionale 27/1975; DPCM 12/01/2017 art. 64 (LEA); DM Salute 12/08/2020 (linee guida IVG farmacologica RU486); DGR Regione Lazio 480/2014; D.Lgs. 286/1998 art. 35.